How To Leverage B-roll (also known as video footage) For Your Business

Unlocking the Potential of B-roll 

Videos have become an essential part of a well-rounded marketing strategy, which is why creating great video content is important. B-roll is an incredibly versatile and powerful tool in video creation when used correctly. Not sure what b-roll is or how to use it for video marketing? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into this powerful form of content creation and explore how you can leverage it for your business. 

What Is B-roll? 

B-roll is supplemental footage that is used to supplement the main narrative (or your audio – also known as a-roll) in a video. It could be additional shots of people speaking, different angles of a product being demonstrated, stock footage, or clips from other videos you’ve produced. In essence, if there’s something you want to add more context to – because a talking head is typically less than exciting – then it’s probably appropriate to add b-roll to your videos.

Why Use B-roll? The Benefits.

Utilizing b-roll video footage can help take your videos to the next level. By adding supplemental footage to your main narrative, you can create a richer story that truly engages viewers and holds their attention. 

Additionally, b-roll allows you to convey complex concepts in visual terms rather than relying entirely on words. Think of it as showing instead of just telling. This makes it easier for viewers to connect with what they are seeing and understand the overall message behind the video. B-roll allows for greater flexibility when editing as you can easily select which pieces of footage make the final cut without having to reshoot entire scenes or rework existing material. 

B-roll video marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for showcasing products, services or events in motion, and keeping your audience engaged. It’s one thing to tell your audience about your company, but showing them will provide an entirely new perspective. You never want to get to the editing process and not have the b-roll you need. By taking a few extra steps during the pre-production and production phases — such as organizing your footage and setting up workflows — you can ensure an efficient post-production process while maximizing the value of your b-roll in the process. A well thought out b-roll strategy can bring life and energy into any digital marketing campaign, so think carefully about how you want your story told and let quality b-roll do its magic!

How To Leverage B-Roll Footage For Your Business 

When using b-roll for your business videos, there are several important steps that should be taken in order to ensure success: 

Research – Take some time before the camera is rolling and research what types of visuals will best tell your story and convey the message that you want viewers to take away from your video. 

Planning will also save time during your shoot. Take mental notes and think about dynamic shots which will capture attention and keep your audience engaged throughout the duration of your video.   

Organization – Organization is key to any successful project, and b-roll videos are no exception. With so much b-roll footage available, it can be difficult to keep track of what you have and what you need. 

To make sure that everything runs smoothly, create a shot list prior to filming so that you can easily reference which shots have already been taken and which ones still need to be filmed. Additionally, if possible, label all recordings with applicable metadata such as location names or scene descriptions. This will help when you go back to review or edit your b-roll videos later, and ensure you have filmed enough footage for your needs.

Taking your time during a video shoot is essential to getting great footage. It’s always a good idea to film establishing shots of your surroundings and to get shots of the details of those surroundings. A principal we use at TB Media Group is to capture our “meat and potatoes” first. These are all of the must-haves to create a visual story, including wide, medium, and tight angles of each of those. If there’s additional time left during our shoot, that’s when we get creative with our shots.

Script – Outline precisely which b-roll shots need to be filmed, so that everything flows together seamlessly during the editing stage. Also, be sure to take any special effects or animation needs into account while filming, to better streamline post-production editing.   

Capture Footage – Shooting b-roll in multiple takes from different camera angles increases visual interest in video content, so be sure there are plenty of visual options for the editing process when putting together the final version of your video during post-production phase.  

Utilize Stock Footage – If there are certain visuals or scenes needed, but not available from what was shot on location, then consider using stock footage as an easy way to add variety without adding significant cost or time investment by shooting additional material yourself.  

Creating compelling videos with b-roll shots doesn’t have to be difficult; all it requires is planning ahead, setting clear objectives and goals, understanding what visuals will do best at conveying the desired message, carefully capturing relevant footage and utilizing stock footage where necessary to fill out any narrative gaps found during post production phase. 

When done right, leveraging b-roll helps create exceptional results for businesses looking for ways to optimize their digital presence through quality content creation strategies.

B-roll footage is an incredibly powerful tool for showcasing products and services in motion. By taking a few extra steps during the pre-production phase—such as organizing your footage and setting up workflows—you can ensure an efficient post-production process while maximizing the value of your b-roll shots in the process. 

A well thought out b-roll strategy can be visually interesting, and bring life and energy into any digital marketing campaign. So think carefully about how you want your story told and let quality b-roll do its magic!

Shooting great b-roll is an effective way for businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience and increase engagement with their products or services. By leveraging quality b-roll shots, you can create more compelling videos that will help you reach more people, while saving time and money in the process. 

If you’re looking for ways to use b-roll effectively, our team at TB Media Group would love to help with your video production. Reach out today and let’s get started on creating powerful b-roll videos that will take your business to the next level.